Headmaster

Our small class sizes mean that the individual strengths and talents of every boy can be nurtured and developed by our dedicated staff and by the supportive community of his peers.

At Hurworth House we are committed to the principle of single-sex education for boys, believing that it gives them the best possible opportunity to develop their abilities to the full.

We offer the full range of academic subjects at all levels of the School as well as a wide variety of extra-curricular activities including the Duke of Edinburgh's award scheme, numerous clubs and societies.

The School has a first-class academic record, and we are justifiably proud of our boys’ consistent successes in GCSE and A-level examinations and in all of their achievements when they leave us.

We aim to build an ethos of co-operation and purposefulness and a sense of self-confidence and self-esteem in all of our boys. We place a high value on courtesy, good manners and on consideration for others.

I make no apologies for saying that these are traditional values - some might even call them old fashioned - but my staff and I believe that they are a vital component in young people’s lives in today’s ever-changing world.

The following pages will, I hope, give you some idea of what a Hurworth House education can offer your son. However, a website can but tell a fraction of the story and can never be a substitute for a personal visit.

Our boys are our best ambassadors.

Come and meet them for yourself.

Christopher R. FenwickHeadmaster

HURWORTH HOUSEis a highly successful and thriving Independent School for Boys of all Junior and Senior age groups.

New Friends

For parents or relatives searching for a suitable seat of learning for their young family members, this web-site aims to provide -

Basic but comprehensive data on the facilities and features of the School

An easy way to register potential interest and to request further information

Current Members

For our current parents, friends, pupils and staff, more detailed information about the day-to-day happenings within the school is to be found, hopefully making the site the easiest way to remain current with activities and events.

History

HURWORTH HOUSE SCHOOLwas founded in 1946 as a private preparatory boarding school for boys. Our founder, Mrs D L Carew-Shaw, after failing to find a school that was right for her young son, established her own in the fine Georgian building that you see today.

For the first fifty years of its history, Hurworth House established and maintained an enviable reputation for preparing boys for Common Entrance into public school.

In 1994, however, the Governing Board took the decision to extend the age range of the school to 18 and to offer the full range of GCSE and, with our sister school Polam Hall, AS and A- Level subjects to the boys in its care. This decision arose essentially at the instigation of many parents who wanted the outstanding education that their sons had thus far enjoyed up to the age of thirteen to continue for the full duration of their school careers.

The first group of students to sit the GCSE examination more than justified that decision, and Hurworth House headed the local schools' examination league tables in that year.

Much has changed since Hurworth House was founded; the school is now run as an Independent Charitable Trust with its own board of Governors and is a member of the Independent Schools' Association. There have, of course, also been many changes to the depth and range of the curriculum over the years, and a purpose-built classroom block was recently constructed to accommodate these developments. Indeed, many people who are familiar with the historic frontage of the school are often pleasantly surprised at the scale and modernity of what lies behind it.

However, much of the ethos of that early school remains. Hurworth House was designed as a small school that was able to cater for the individual needs, both social and academic, of all its pupils - and so it remains to this day. The early principles that our founder laid down of high-expectations, high-quality teaching and a caring and happy atmosphere are still to be found here. The twin facets of traditional values and a modern, relevant and practical outlook are not just reflected in the architecture, they are at the very root of what makes Hurworth House the unique school that it is.

Junior School

Organisation of the Junior School

Form

Age

Reception

4-5

J1

5-6

J2

6-7

J3

7-8

J4

8-9

J5

9-10

J6

10-11

THE JUNIOR SCHOOLhas its own character and identity but shares the same ethos as the Senior School. In a traditional but highly stimulating environment, which is always warm and welcoming, we bring out the best in every child in our care.

The curriculum in the Junior School exemplifies all that is best in independent education. Dedicated and experienced teachers combine traditional skills with the challenges of imaginative and stimulating work.

In the Early Years of the Junior School (Reception to J3) considerable emphasis is put on developing the core skills that children will need for the rest of their lives. A solid foundation is laid in Mathematics and English and we set aside time every day to hear each boy read.

From J2 onwards boys already benefit from being taught by subject specialists in Sport, Art and Music. From J3 onwards Science, Information Technology and Language specialists add their expertise to the boys' curriculum.

Throughout the whole of the Junior School, form teachers and the Head of School monitor progress and provide positive pastoral support.

By the end of their time in the Junior School, at J6, boys will have been taught by most of the subject specialists from the Senior School thus making a smooth transition to the next stage of their education.

Senior School

Organisation of the Senior School

Form

Age

F1

11-12

F2

12-13

F3

13-14

F4

14-15

F5

15-16

Lower VI

16-17

Upper VI

17-18

THE SENIOR SCHOOLextends and builds upon the first-class foundations already laid down by the Junior School by continuing to administer a firm and caring discipline which enables every child to develop in a secure and friendly atmosphere.

All areas of the curriculum are taught by subject specialists throughout the Senior School which ensures each boy is thoroughly prepared for the wide range of GCSE courses which commence at the beginning of F4.

Boys make their option choices during F3. Regular assessment, advice and guidance will have ensured that their GCSE selections will be tailor-made to their individual strengths.

Extra-curricular activities provide additional occasions for boys to demonstrate and enhance personal skills not otherwise catered for in the already busy schedule.

Throughout the whole of the Senior School each boy is treated as an individual and is encouraged to involve himself in as broad a range of activities as possible to ensure that he fulfils his maximum potential through maximum opportunity.

A Sixth Form consortium is run jointly with our sister school Polam Hall where boys are encouraged to continue their studies at A-level. However regular contact is maintained so that each pupil still feels very much part of the Hurworth House family.

GCSE ResultsOver the last ten years, pupils at Hurworth House have achieved an average of 84% of grades A* to C at GCSE level.